This invention relates to portable rests for shooters to rest their long barreled firearms such as rifles and shotguns, or handguns such as pistols and revolvers so as to facilitate long range accuracy in the shooting of the guns.
There are, of course, a number of prior art shooting rests for marksmen. It is understood that Native Americans used a pair of crossed arrows as a support for their long barreled buffalo rifles in the latter 19th century. Since that time there have been a significant number of shooting rest monopods, bipods and tripods developed which are known by those skilled in the art. My prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,732 showing a bipod is an example of the prior art arrangements.
My present invention has several significant advantages over my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,732 and all other prior art shooting rests. In particular, my present invention permits a more convenient, rapid and noiseless setup to enable the shooter to begin sighting and shooting in the shortest possible time. My invention comprises, in part, a molded rubber flexible yoke or coupling which holds a pair of rods or foldable legs. In the preferred embodiment the legs fold to about 14 inches in length for compact transport in a belt sheath or for storage in a backpack. When folded, the legs are substantially parallel within the elastic yoke. When needed, the legs are released and quickly unfold and automatically assemble to about 39 inches, utilizing an internal shock cord and ferules. The legs can be crossed to any desired angle, this being permitted by flexing of the yoke. The molded rubber yoke protects stock finish and permits firearms to cant, tilt or pan up to 60 degrees in any direction, permitting hunters to get "on-target" quickly and to track moving game.
The flexible yoke coupling allows fast height adjustments by simply altering the angle to the crossed rods or legs. Also, the yoke may be slip adjusted along the longitudinal axis of the legs to suit the shooter's height. When the yoke is at rest, the above mentioned slip adjustment is permitted as the yoke then may be freely moved along the legs. However, when the legs are crossed, then the flexible yoke binds and thus fixedly clamps the legs to prevent any relative longitudinal movement of the legs with respect to the yoke.